Is it permissible to shake hands with a disbeliever or a Dhimmi, to help a disbelieving woman if she falls, and to offer a disbeliever a seat on the bus?
Source: FtawySummary from Ftawy's records · added here Sep 2, 2026
Shaking hands with a disbeliever is disliked (makrooh). It is not permissible to touch a disbelieving woman except in cases of extreme necessity, such as fearing for her destruction and there being no one else to save her. If a person is a disbeliever, do not stand up from your place as a sign of veneration for him. As for a Muslim, there is no harm in honoring him by standing up, especially if he is an elderly shaykh.
Summary from Ftawy's records · added here
Reviewed by El Fatwa's sharia committee.
Read the full answer on Ftawyhttps://ftawy.com/en/questions/82621
Where this answer came from
- Source platform
- Ftawy
- Original fatwa ID
- 82621
- Added here
- . This is when the answer was added to El Fatwa, not the fatwa's date.
- Text
- Summary from Ftawy's records, reviewed by El Fatwa's sharia committee.
- Read the full ruling
- Read the full answer on Ftawy